What Would it Take
by Silvermane177
Summary: Ryuji is an obnoxious, crass, irresponsible, and immature boy. What would it take for him to buckle down and grow up? A post-canon story on how Ryuji approaches his possible futures.
1. Chapter 1

Author Note: I love Persona 5. I love its world, its characters, its story, everything. That said, upon reflection I identified that Ryuji is my least favorite character among the main cast. Even below Morgana. It's not hard to understand why, I find the boy to be rash, immature, short tempered, and irresponsible. He mellows out a bit with the protagonist's influence, but not enough to make me LIKE him. So, I thought about what it would take to make me like Ryuji as a character. I think this fic would be a good start. I'm using the protag's name as Akira Kurusu for this.

* * *

Ryuji Sakamoto stared at his phone, willing some sort of text, any sort of text, to appear on its screen. The former Phantom Thief idled outside his classroom in the halls of Shujin Academy, his afternoon and evening totally and completely open. He knew things would go back to normal once they dropped Akira off, he just wasn't prepared for how quickly. Before that frizzy haired rebel entered his life, most his days were spent with nothing to do, but wait for some… thing to happen. These days at least he had friends though. He had get togethers planned later on the week with Ann and Shiho, a workout with Makoto tomorrow, ramen takeout planned with Yusuke sometime, but on this particular day all the other thieves just had other plans.

The bustle of the lives of his friends made him uneasy. Twitching his leg impatiently, Ryuji kept staring at his phone in expectation. Ann had a modelling gig. Yusuke had a studio reserved for his latest piece. Makoto and Haru were both now in university, early college life proving quite hectic (but manageable) for both women. Futaba had a pet project she was determined to program. So, despite knowing no one would summon him to hang out, the boy continued to stare at his phone with a strange sensation of displeasure.

He knew why he felt this way. A folded form in his bag was the reason. It was customary for third-years in high school to start planning for their futures, and the school was happy to bring it up at every opportunity. "Here's something to help you discover what you want. Please fill this out so we can help guide you to your future." Mr Hiruta, his homeroom teacher had purred.

Ryuji's was still blank.

"Tch." The blonde clicked, kicking away from the wall he was leaning against and heading out of the building. Day by day, he was feeling more and more restless with the direction in his life. The threat of adulthood loomed over him, with all the responsibilities attached. All the others seemed so… driven. While he was happy for each of their determination and goals, it also served to reflect his own failings. He was at sea without a rudder, blindly sailing into the unknown.

Ryuji made it to the subway platform when a buzz in his pocket made his heart leap. With an eager grin, he flicked his phone's screen to see who it was, his mood dropping when he saw it was from his mother.

"Working late tonight. Leftovers in the fridge. Love you!" She sent. Though disappointed, he allowed himself a small smile. His mom was working longer hours these days, and that was another thing eating at him. He wasn't sure when, but recently he'd been more and more conscious of money. Or rather, the lack of it. Akira gave each of the Phantom Thieves a split of their total take throughout their campaign (Haru discretely declining her share and adding it back into the pool), and at first Ryuji thought it was an amazing windfall. It was only after sharing most of it with his mom, and losing most of it going out to celebrate with food, games, shoes, and clothes, that he noticed just how quickly yen could disappear. He didn't THINK that his mom and he were in financial difficulties, but the young man was starting to notice the price of everyday things. With this in mind, he reconsidered his plans to waste his afternoon in the Shibuya Arcade.

"Ugh, man… what a drag…" He moaned to no one in particular. Ryuji wanted nothing more than to wrap himself up in some digital distraction to escape the growing responsibilities swelling on the horizon. Figuring he could spend a couple hours with Akira's old system in LeBlanc, he stepped on the Yogen-Jaya line car.

"Hey Boss. Mind if I chill upstairs for a bit?" Ryuji asked when he entered the cozy atmosphere of LeBlanc. There was a kindly older couple in one of the booths, but they paid him no mind. Sojiro Sakura gave a slight noise of curiosity as he looked up from his crossword.

"Hmm? Oh, Ryuji. Sure, go on ahead. Just don't make a ruckus." The man hummed. With the familiar feel of the coffee and curry café, the boy already felt his anxieties soften. Giving a polite nod at the couple, he made his way upstairs. Part of him still expected Akira to be up there, lounging on his bed, or hard at work fiddling with something at his workbench, or even using the rafters to workout. The dusty attic felt empty without him. Sighing, Ryuji booted up the old CRT and retro gaming system. His phone buzzed again, and he quirked an eyebrow as he read the message.

"Don't save over my Train of Life file!" Futaba warned. He wasn't sure how exactly the little hermit knew he was there, but the simple low stress game sounded pretty attractive to him right now. Avoiding incurring the hacker's wrath, he selected the third slot and started to lose himself in the simple old school graphics and MIDI melodies.

After pouring a couple hours into the game, Ryuji found a checkpoint and saved. Stretching as he got up, he felt a little relieved but still a bit unfulfilled. He gathered his things and headed down the steps. He didn't THINK he was exuding an aura of dissatisfaction, but leave it to Boss to pick up on a downed mood.

"Something the matter, Ryuji?" Sojiro wondered in a casual tone. Something inside the boy immediately went defensive, but he managed to quell it. This was Boss, he could be trusted, right? Weighing the options in his mind as the middle-aged barista regarded him with a raised eyebrow, Ryuji finally relented.

"Yeah… yeah you could say that." He sighed, hoping up onto a stool. Sojiro wordlessly prepared him a soda. It made Ryuji smile a bit. "Say Boss… When you were in high school, did you know what you wanted to do?" He wondered. The man hummed in consideration.

"Can't say that I did… I bounced around between a couple of odd jobs. Mostly deskwork. I worked as a bureaucrat with the government for a while when I met Wakaba. After that, well…" He recollected, Ryuji nodding in understanding.

"So… did you always want to run a café then?" He wondered. Hearing the tale of the man's past helped settle his heart a little.

"Heh, not always. When I was a kid like you I didn't have a goal. I was too busy.. um… having fun." He said with a smirk. "It was only when I discovered my passion for coffee and how good I was at cooking curry did it occur to me to give it a try." Sojiro washed out a mug as he watched the boy process this. "I take it you're starting to get a feel for your future?"

Ryuji gave a little snort. "Lately it's like I don't got a future." He grinned mirthlessly. Sojiro chuckled in response.

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about it, Ryuji. It's alright if it takes a little time to figure things out. That said, that doesn't mean it's a good idea to slack off. Have you had a job yet?" Ryuji shook his head. "Mmh. Perhaps it's time you consider picking something up. Doesn't mean you have to make a career out of it, but if you have time to kill it could be good to get a feel for being in the working force. Heaven knows Akira was barely ever here with all the places he's worked."

"Yeah, I don't know how he found the time for ANYHING he did so much." Ryuji grinned, sinking deep in thought. Sojiro picked up on this and continued to clean up with a smile. After a few minutes of contemplation and finishing his soda, Ryuji slapped some yen on the counter. "Thanks for the talk, Boss. I got some stuff to figure out."

"Almost there! Almost there!" Ryuji encouraged as Makoto grunted under the weight of the leg press machine. Out of all the Phantom Thieves women, Makoto seemed to be the most responsible with fitness, something Ryuji greatly appreciated. This particular evening however, Ryuji certainly noticed a slight decline in her strength and energy. The woman finished her set with a sigh, taking a moment to rest on the padded seat of the equipment before slinking off to wipe it down. "You seem to be falling behind, Queen. What's up?" He teased.

Makoto grinned sheepishly, taking a few gulps from her bottle. "I'm ashamed to admit I've missed a few of my personal workouts." She confessed. "In adjusting to life at the university, I've become negligent."

"Aw, that's not too bad. It makes sense you're gonna stumble a bit to find a new routine. At least you still made time to come here." He shrugged. The woman smiled.

"Thank you for that, but I don't want to make excuses for myself." She confided. "I need to hold myself to a high standard if I hope to achieve my goals."

"Heh. Very diligent of you." He smirked, the pair moving to the mats to stretch after their workout.

"What about your goals, Ryuji? I believe you should have gotten your guidance sheets by now?" She probed, ever the team mom. Ryuji looked away in embarrassment.

"Yeah… I mean, I got it… I just haven't… you know."

Makoto looked at him critically. "If you're having trouble figuring things out, you know we're all here to help." She reminded subtlety.

The warm feeling of comradery filled Ryuji with a warm smile as he reached down towards his toe to stretch. "I know. I'm just… having a bit of a hard time figuring out what I'm good at."

Makoto hummed as she mimicked the boy's movements. "Well, for what its worth, I think you make a decent enough personal trainer."

"Yeah, the money's not too good with that though, and its usually a part time thing, you know?"

"Oh? Sounds like you've already looked into it a little. I'm impressed. Although starting part time with anything would probably be good for you." Makoto theorized. "You should ask Akira about it, he's done tons of odd jobs."

"Heh. Y'know, Boss said the same thing."

"Oh? Must be something to think about then."

RYUJI: Hey man. Apparently I gotta hit you up for some knowledge. You're a part-time god or somethin'.

AKIRA: Oh? Looking for a job then?

RYUJI: Not sure yet.

RYUJI: What kind of stuff did you do?

AKIRA: Hmm… well, aside from helping Dr Takemi with her drug trials and Old Man Tora with his speeches, I helped Boss out a bunch at LeBlanc, Iwai-san at Untouchable, Lala-chan at Crossroads, and worked a couple times at the beef bowl place, convenience store, and the flower shop.

RYUJI: …

RYUJI: For real?!

RYUJI: How the eff did you find the time for all of that?!

AKIRA: Heh, well it WAS over the course of a whole year.

AKIRA: Besides, our operations needed money, weapons, medicine, and info. How do you think we got all those Momentos requests?

RYUJI: Damn man, shoulda said somethin'. I spent so many nights just bored outta my mind. Still kinda am.

AKIRA: Well, if you're going to spend a night being bored, might as well be bored and get paid for it. Check out some flyers. With the exception of that nightmarish beef bowl place, most locations give you a good idea of what to do before you work.

RYUJI: Guess I could give it a shot.

AKIRA: Oh, and take pictures of whatever uniform they make you wear. I could use a good laugh.

RYUJI: Eff that.

"Did you have to have a check up like this, Ryuji?" Ann wondered as they milled around in the waiting room at the physical therapist's office. Shiho tilted her head in curiosity as Ryuji stared unfocused at the lame motivational posters on the walls.

"Nah, mine was lucky enough to be a clean break. Last time I was here was about six months after…" He recollected. He gave the brunette girl a reassuring smile. "So in a way, you're much stronger than me, recovering from a worse break, Suzui." The girl gave a warm smile.

"Please. You can call me Shiho, Sakamato-kun." She assured.

"Then you gotta call me Ryuji then." He replied. Ann beamed at the warm comradery. It was nearly a year since… the unfortunate incident, and Shiho's break WAS a bit worse than the one Ryuji suffered, hence the checkup. The girl bounced back beautifully though, the former volleyball player grateful that another former Shujin athlete who suffered a broken leg due to the actions of the same evil man was around to offer support. "Ann tells me you've been trying your hand at basketball now?"

Shiho nodded with a sad smile. "After everything I couldn't… exactly bring myself to try out for my new school's volleyball team… but I still wanted to keep myself active. Turns out the skills carry over quite well!" She said proudly. Ryuji nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I get it. I didn't exactly hop back into the track team after the dust settled, but I still run." The door opened, an assistant calling for Shiho. Ann and Ryuji nodded at the girl as she headed to her appointment.

"Sakamato?" A voice called out in disbelief. The blond turned and found an old familiar face.

"Kido-san?" Ryuji recollected. His old rehab assistant grinned.

"Whatcha doing back here, you punk? Thought we cleared you. Don't tell me you got yourself broken again, after all that work we put into you?" The man teased affectionately.

"Nah, man. Just here to support a friend."

"Oh? This her? She doesn't look broken." Kido smiled. "Not at all." Ann rolled her eyes.

"Ryuji? Who's this?" She asked.

"Hmm? Oh, this is Shuu Kido. He worked on my program with me during my rehab." The man nodded at Ann in agreement.

"If you could call it that. I didn't actually do much. This boy here took the reins to his rehab and made my job really easy." Kido complimented, giving Ryuji a good-natured jab to his shoulder. "This boy's got a knack for keeping healthy. I was impressed." Ann gave a teasing smile which made Ryuji blush a little and look away.

"Yeah… well… I just wanted to get back on my feet again." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. Something inside him flashed with inspiration. "Hey, Kido-san? What did you have to do to get hired here?"

The assistant blinked a few times then smiled. "Thinking of becoming a doctor, Sakamoto?"

The young man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck again. "Wouldn't say I'm aiming THAT high, but you said yourself, I basically did your job for you. Think I could manage 'assistant'." He gauged. Kido nodded sagely.

"Well, I'm personally using this as a stepping stone to go higher, but plenty of guys like working with patients like you as their career." Kido considered Ryuji for a moment before continuing. "The position requires a two year certification, and the Ootori Medical Group that runs this place likes to hire up within their ranks… if you took a job here with something else, they'd probably help you get your certification." Kido reported. "Here, hold on a sec." He said, disappearing to grab something from reception. He came back and handed Ryuji a card. "Give this number a call. Looks like there's a few spots open in packaging. Perfect for part-timers."

Ryuji accepted the card, something stirring within his chest. All the unease, all the hesitation and uncertainty that had been inside him for the past few weeks started to dissipate. His ship was getting its bearings. "Thank you." He said. The two chatted a little longer before the man had to return to his work, Ryuji sitting down next to Ann and staring at the card. When he finally looked up, the girl was smiling widely in pride. "Wha? What's that look for?!"

"I'm so happy for you, Ryuji!" She teased. Ryuji returned a sheepish smile and sank into thought as they waited for Shiho's appointment to end.

After the girl returned with good news on her recovery, the group headed for some celebratory crepes. "So they say my mend is strong, I shouldn't have any major issues." Shiho summarized as the group ate as they walked.

"Yeah, it's just the minor ones that get annoying." Ryuji chuckled. He felt bursting with energy, not just from the sugar rush from the snack. "Hey, I'm gonna head home and change. Feel like a run. Catch you two later!"

The two girls waved as he took off, Shiho giving a raised eyebrow at her friend. "Ryuji's a good guy, isn't he?" She said knowingly, watching the smile on Ann's face.

"… Yeah, he is." She replied, watching Ryuji go with the slightest tinge to her cheeks. Catching herself and the teasing expression on Shiho's face, the girl rallied. "It's not like that!" She protested.

"… Uh huh." Shiho replied, unconvinced.

(A/N: We may come back to this, I do have ideas of where this could go. Let me know what you liked, didn't like, or anything in between.)


	2. Chapter 2

Ryuji restrained his leg from bouncing as he sat stiffly in the office of the packaging manager. The middle aged man regarded his resume critically, occasionally glancing over to Ryuji's attire. For his first interview ever, Ryuji wore an actual dress shirt and tie that he had to have his mother help him tie properly. Sighing, the manager set down the sheet and returned his attention to the uncomfortable looking young man across the desk from him.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie, Sakamoto. Your grades are less than stellar. The higher ups want to avoid any accusations of our company adversely impacting our part timer's grades, so they don't like hiring students with poor academic performance." He began. Ryuji fought back the sinking feeling of disappointment and failure that seemed to drag downwards in his chest. "However, we ARE currently behind in our midweek shipments and could use all the help we can get." He continued. Ryuji sat up straighter, a small glimmer of hope beaming in his heart. "So here's what I propose: We'll take you on as a probationary hire. You'll work Tuesdays through Thursdays after school. And, if you can show us your grades _improving,_ we may just keep you around after this rush dies down. Deal?" He smiled.

Ryuji nodded eagerly, triumph in his veins, mixing with a tiny trickle of dread at the standards set before him. "Yes, sir! Of course sir! I won't let you down!" He stood up, bowing deeply. The manager chuckled.

"Calm down, calm down, save that energy for your first day next week. As for your clothes, good on you for dressing for the interview." Ryuji smiled. Haru had helped him pick it out. "But here's a shirt that you can use for now until we get you your own." The manager said, tossing over a one-size-fits-none standard company polo. After given a brief orientation on where and when to show up, Ryuji nervously thanked the man again for the opportunity and left.

He spent 3 minutes outside the door, trying to calm down his pounding heart.

He got the job!

…He got the job, but with certain conditions.

Conditions that required him, a lifetime dunce, the daunting task of getting good grades.

"Aw man, I'm so screwed…"

* * *

RYUJI: Dude! I got to study!

AKIRA: Heh. Where's this coming from?

RYUJI: So, I got the job.

AKIRA: You did? Congratulations!

RYUJI: But to KEEP the job, they gotta see my grades improve.

AKIRA: …

AKIRA: Dude. You got to study.

RYUJI: I know, right?!

RYUJI: What do I do?!

AKIRA: Well, it's pretty obvious…

RYUJI: You know what I mean. You've seen me try before.

RYUJI: I get so distracted so easily, and I never can concentrate, and I really really want this to work and I'm freaking out here!

AKIRA: Hey. Calm down. It'll be fine.

AKIRA: It basically boils down to a change in study habits, right?

AKIRA: If you get distracted, try going to a place where you can't be.

AKIRA: I recommend the Café in Shibuya. I got TONS of studying done there.

AKRIA: You can try the library too, but that didn't work the best for me.

RYUJI: I dunno man. I've never been that smart, y'know?

AKRIA: It couldn't hurt to try. See if Ann's willing to help out. You two have the same classes so it'd make sense.

AKIRA: If that doesn't work, we'll come up with another plan of attack, alright?

AKIRA: Congrats again on the job thing. Welcome to the work force!

* * *

Ryuji felt his mind melting as he stared at his textbooks. He'd been at it for two hours now, and he could feel his focus disappear. Although, they were a successful two hours, Ryuji had to admit. Akira's suggestion of the café turned out to be a huge help, and Ann did decide to tag along as long as he paid for her drinks. It was a great help having her around to vent to in times of frustrated confusion, to bounce ideas off of in questions he didn't quite get yet, or to generally help keep him calm.

Ann generally had a calming effect on him, at least when she wasn't being 'playful'.

But even with the successes of the new environment, the young man had reached his limits. "Ugh… I hate how hard this is for me…" He grumbled out loud, collapsing onto the table. Ann giggled, closing her books and starting to pack up.

"You did better than I thought." She teased. Ryuji grumbled again.

"It's like... I helped defeat an effing GOD, and I can't stand to study for more than a couple hours." He lamented, starting to pack up too. "Thanks for helping me out here, Ann." The girl beamed him one of her bright smiles in response, which sunk when she glanced outside. Where it was raining.

"Um, Ryuji… You didn't pack an umbrella did you?" She asked nervously.

Gauging the light rainfall, he weighed the options. "Nah, I didn't… Looks like we're gonna get a little wet. It's only a short ways to the underground and its only sprinkling, we should be fine." He said with fake optimism.

It wasn't a bad plan, necessarily. It only turned bad once the light sprinkle turned into a torrential downpour as soon as the pair took a few steps out. Ryuji cursed, Ann squealed as they ran towards the underground.

"Ugh I'm SOAKED!" The girl whined, the pounding sound of rainfall a few feet away from the entrance muffling her words somewhat. Wiping some droplets off his face, Ryuji turned to her to offer some words of comfort, only to realize that the water had a very interesting effect on Ann's school uniform top.

Her very white, and at the moment, slightly see through uniform top.

To his credit, he only stared for a brief second before respectfully looking away.

"Sorry about that…" He apologized. Remembering his gymbag, he unzipped it to grab a spare shirt. "Hey, I was gonna hit the gym later, but I think you should use this." He offered, holding out the dark red garment.

"What? What are you talking about?" Ann asked, confused, then noticed the slight pink tinge on Ryuji's averted face, noticed the state of her shirt, and blushed deeper than the boy across from her. "You pervert!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Just take the shirt alright?" He grumbled. Ann frowned, but accepted the garment and quickly put it on over her top. "Better?"

"You better have washed this." She pouted. Truth be told, she was actually pleasantly surprised on how Ryuji was handling things, she remembered the other times he shamelessly gawked at her various states of exposure. It was… nice to see him treat her with a little respect for once.

"Don't worry. I hadn't worn it yet." He replied, setting off towards the train platforms. Ann watched him go for a few steps before following, a strange mixture of embarrassment, frustration, disappointment, and a little admiration in her heart. "So are like, ALL your bras pink or something?"

"You JERK!"

* * *

"So you're the newbie, eh?" A brash spikey haired young man grinned. He looked like he was in his early twenties, a couple earrings adorning his lobes. Ryuji grunted slightly in response, bringing a box of medical supplies over to the processing station. The Ootori Medical Group had multiple locations throughout the city, which all needed a steady stream of all sorts of equipment, supplies, and other various resources to function. Which required sorting, packaging, and shipping to reach them all. It was a bit menial, but necessary, and Ryuji didn't mind it so much.

"Yeah. Name's Ryuji Sakamoto." He introduced, setting the box down and offering a hand.

"Masaomi Motimiya." The man responding, giving Ryuji a firm handshake. "Glad you're here, it'll be nice not being the fresh blood anymore. Started myself a couple weeks ago. What do you think so far?"

Ryuji shrugged, checking off the change he made on the tablet he was given. "Not bad so far." He said neutrally. "Thought the packages would be heavier, so I'm good. Pay's good enough."

"Tch. The pay is shit." Motimiya smirked. "You able to make rent on the peanuts they give us? I have to do some things for a friend to compliment my income, you know?"

"Oh? Well, I'm still in high school so…"

"Heh. Thought you looked young. Still living with your folks, then?"

"My mom, yeah."

The man snorted. "Well newbie. When you hit the real world you're in for a shock on how expensive shit is." Ryuji processed that as he continued to work. How much WAS rent, really? Did he eat too much? How much were groceries? They had always kind of… been there in the kitchen for him before. This was his first real job so ANY income looked good to him, but was the pay better elsewhere? Could he live on what he makes here later on? The uncertainty of it all was starting to swell up inside him again.

He powered through it though, the first couple of days working after school blending together. Motimiya was fun enough to talk with, the man's mannerisms and language very similar to Ryuji's. It was nice to have someone to vent with when things at work seemed unfair or tiring. (Motimiya loved to gripe, but at least in fun and entertaining ways.)

"So tell me newbie. You say you're having a hard time at school, why not just drop out?" He wondered one afternoon as they processed a batch of hypodermic needles. Motimiya lips moved to himself as he looked at the box's details.

"Is that even a question, man?" Ryuji retorted, returning to the next item on the list. "You think a guy like me can get anywhere without at least a high school diploma?"

"Just saying, man. I dropped out, and I'm living well enough."

"Bullshit. You're constantly bitchin' about the pay here."

"The pay HERE, yeah. The other job I got is WAY better." He boasted. "Don't believe me? Why don't you come over to my place tomorrow. See for yourself."

"I gotta study-"

"Aw you can afford to blow it off for a night. We can play some Arena on my system. Blow off some steam." He offered. Ryuji WAS getting sick of studying… Nodding, he agreed to visit his coworkers place, as the man typed some things into his personal phone and glancing at the package they just processed.

* * *

"Wow man. You weren't kidding." Ryuji gaped, looking around the two bedroom apartment. It was no penthouse, but was certainly nicer than what his mom and he lived in. New couch, assorted posters on the walls, state of the art appliances and an entertainment system that would make even Futaba jealous.

"Yeah, check out my man cave!" Motimiya gloated. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge or cabinet. Got some good booze too if you want." The man eyed Ryuji with a mischievous and curious grin.

"Thanks man, but I don't touch the stuff." He replied politically. The man snorted.

"Damn, you're such a newbie." He scoffed. Ryuji grabbed himself a can of soda and joined his coworker on the couch as he fired up the gaming system. "This place making you jealous? Better than livin' with your mom, right?"

"I admit, place looks nice."

"Heh. Yeah, it's great. Great for bringing home chicks too."

"Now you're jus' makin' shit up."

"You wish, newbie. Here, check out this pic one of the chicks I'm seeing took." Motimiya grinned, flipping through his phone and turning the screen towards Ryuji. A girl was laying next to Motimiya, giving the 'V' sign. Both of them were topless. Ryuji's face turned red all the way to his ears.

"Duuuuude." Blinking, he turned his head, feeling a bit guilty about seeing such a picture. "She okay with you showing her off like that?"

"Ha! Jeez dude, grow a pair already." Motimiya teased. "Chick's a slut, no matter."

Ryuji felt a little ashamed that he let that slide, but he was feeling awkward and uncomfortable and a little bit intimidated by the lifestyle his coworker managed. He turned his attention to the game and let himself get lost in the button mashing. Rudeness aside, he still had fun hanging out with Motimiya. The screen was big, the sound system amazing, and it was easy to slip into a fun mood with snacks, laughter, games, and unfiltered discussion.

"Getting late, dude. Gonna head out." He decided.

"Oh yeah, it's a _school night_ for you, isn't it?" The man teased. "I'm telling you, you can drop that shit and still live like this."

Ryuji rolled his eyes. "And what's this other job you keep talking about?"

Motimiya grinned strangely and shrugged. "I guess you could say it's just what we do at Ootori's. Packaging and delivering. I only really work with you guys because there's never anything going on in the middle of the week."

"Really? And the pays that good?"

"Hey man, if we need extra hands, I'll see if I can put in a word for ya." Motimiya smiled. The prospect actually excited Ryuji a little. Saying his goodbyes, he headed home.

* * *

Sunday afternoon found Ryuji feeling like his thoughts were forced to wade through cold molasses. Exams started Monday, and he knew this was going to make or break him. He tried to regain his attention to the sheets and books spread in front of him, with no avail.

"I hate this." He grumbled, staring out at nothing. His phone gave a short buzz. Lazily Ryuji pulled it out.

MOTIMIYA: Hey man, remember that offer? Turns out we could use some extra manpower this Friday. You in?

The boy stared at his screen, then looked back at the pile of schoolwork. Something didn't _quite_ feel right about the whole thing, but Ryuji just wanted an opportunity to succeed. Motimiya seemed to live nicely, even as a drop out. Sighing, he resolved himself to at least suffer through this week's exams. Then on Friday he'd find out if he had to take any more ever again.

* * *

(A/N: You can't be THAT dumb, right Ryuji? Ryuji? Well, I guess we'll see. Given the chemistry and interactions between him and Ann, I'm flagging this with some romance tags too. Thanks to those who've favorited, bookmarked, or commented, and please leave any feedback you'd like.) any feedback you'd like.)


	3. Chapter 3

Ann was feeling just a little silly with herself.

She was looking for a shirt to wear to bed and came across the one Ryuji lent her the other day when they got caught in the rain. On a whim, she threw it on and glanced at herself in the mirror. It was a little long on her, the neckline a bit wide to tease some collarbone, and the looseness of it quite comfortable. She washed it with her laundry, but some of the original scent lingered. She caught her eyes in the mirror and looked away, blushing with a giggle and a shake of her head.

This was stupid. This was a little ridiculous. But still, it made her happy.

She knew she and Ryuji have been dancing the line between 'flirty' and 'friendly' as of late. She knew there was _something_ a little more than just friendship between them, but never really considered things beyond that. Lately though… Ryuji had been changing into a respectable young man. And as his plans for his future became more and more defined, Ann found it easier and easier to imagine herself being part of them.

Laying down on her bed, holding her fist at her chest, and staring at nothing, Ann sorted through her feelings.

* * *

Ryuji was tired. The week of exams had destroyed his mental fortitude once again, the boy feeling each day tear a little more out of him. He probably prepped for this set more than he ever had for school before, and while he did feel a little more confident in his answers, the extra studying made him question each thing he wrote down more. At least he was given easy tasks at work during this week, his manager understanding of his position and reminding him to bring him the results when they get posted. Motimiya didn't say much about Friday, just where and when to meet up. He'd explain the rest there.

It was a bit late to be meeting op for a job opportunity, he reflected, stepping off into the late night streets of Shibuya. He figured it might be a night shift graveyard shift deal or something. He knew the area well enough, having staked it out with the whole Kaneshiro business the year prior. Whatever it was, he hoped it paid well enough for him to have a life similar to what Motimiya managed. It was with these thoughts of a possible bright successful future that Ryuji turned the corner and saw the gathering of men lingering at the spot he was supposed to meet up at.

And he saw their flashy shirts and jewelry, and the occasional tattoos and dyed hair. And a box with a familiar logo on it.

Ryuji cursed himself for being such an idiot.

He dipped back around the corner, hoping no one saw him and allowed himself a moment to panic and swear to himself. Did they see him? Could he walk away? Who would stop him? After a few terrified moments of no one approaching the corner he was behind, he bolted.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

After making it a couple blocks he slowed down to a walk and grumbled to himself. Of COURSE it was that. How could he think it was anything OTHER than that? No doubt the supplies they had Ootori Medical would be used for that.

Ryuji let out a sigh, turning down another alley when he bumped into Motimiya, presumably on his way towards where Ryuji left.

"Woah. Hey now Ryuji. Where you goin'? The meetup's this way." He said with a chuckle then noticed Ryuji's scowled expression. "You're not chickening out, are you?" He wondered with a perplexed expression.

The blonde met Motimiya's gaze. "It ain't my thing." He said simply, stepping to move past his coworker. A hand against his chest halted his movement.

"Hold up there, newbie. I've already told the boys that you're coming. You don't want to make me look like a liar, do you?" He grinned sickly. Ryuji stared for a moment, carefully considering his next words and actions. He knew the area. He subtly allowed Motimiya to push him back towards the direction of the meetup.

"Dude, you called me out here for an opportunity. One I'm turning down. Simple as that." He replied once he was where he wanted to be.

"Tch. Don't give me that crap." The man spat back, grabbing Ryuji's shirt in his fists and pushing him into a wall. "Do you want to be moving _boxes_ for the rest of your life? You're just a punk, like me. You'll always be just a punk. No one's gonna think of you otherwise. Well, this is what we punks do, and we get _paid."_

Ryuji looked back with an unconcerned expression as he was pinned against the brick wall. He thought about the expectations people had for him. He thought about his friends, he thought about his mom.

He thought about Ann.

"Sorry, Dude. Not my style." Ryuji explained calmly as Motimya's face contorted with fury. The man raised a fist. "By the way, before you start shit…" The boy smirked, gesturing his head to the building next to them. "Smile for the cameras."

Motimiya glanced to the side, spotting the CCTV cameras pointing down the alley towards them. Ryuji tried to keep form looking smug to prevent provoking the man further. During the stakeout and calling cards for Kaneshiro, Ryuji found out exactly where to go to prevent being seen and recorded. Or in this case, where to go to BE seen. Motimiya calmed down and released his grip on Ryuji once he saw his actions being filmed.

"Fine. Fine then." He recovered, adjusting his shirt. "I always figured you were just a wet behind the ears momma's boy. You're makin' a mistake here." He growled and made his way towards his associates. Ryuji watched him go, staring at the place he disappeared for a few moments before turning around and heading back home.

"Tch." He felt disgusted. With himself, with Motimiya, with the world, and what he knew he had to do. He didn't consider the man a _friend,_ but they did bond a little. He'd been to his home, ate his food, played with him, joked with him. With a bit of self-loathing, Ryuji took out his phone and dialed his manager.

"Sir? It's Sakamoto. I think… I think we need to check the inventory that Motimiya's handled."

* * *

There was a beautiful simplicity in lifting. The iron bars don't care about life's drama or difficulties, they don't care if things were easy or hard, they were just there to be picked up and put down.

Ryuji retreated into that world for the weekend. School the next day went in a blur, with the boy feeling mentally and emotionally drained. Afterwards he poured his body into feeling physically drained too, as a point of balance. He blocked Motimiya's number, and only received a text from his manager asking him to report in Tuesday at the normal time. His mom and friends all assumed his lethargic state was exam induced. Part of that was true.

He watched his form in the gym's mirror as he lifted, grateful for the opportunity to repeat a simple task to achieve a simple goal. It was almost therapeutic. All the negative emotions seeped out of his body like sweat, and he could feel himself recharge. Grades would be posted Tuesday. It was going to be an important day for him. By then he could face it.

* * *

"Come ON Ryuji!" Ann beamed, dragging him by the wrist towards the board.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'." He grumbled, smirking slightly as he let the girl pull on is arm. He was a bit anxious, the results from the exams displayed publicly. Through habit, his eyes started near the bottom of the list. He frowned a little in confusion as his eyes travelled upwards. And upwards.

Ann squealed and he felt her hug him, her soft warm body pressing against his front as he stared disbelieving at the results.

"I ain't ever been in the top half before…" He said with awe and disbelief in his voice.

"I _knew_ you could do it!" She chirped, pulling away slightly to catch his eyes. "My grades were pretty good too, thanks to those study sessions." Ann hummed. It was then Ryuji noticed the girl's forearms were still resting on his shoulders around his neck, and when she hugged him, he instinctively placed his hands on her hips. He was suddenly aware of just how close she was to him.

"Good job." He managed to murmur.

"You too." She replied back, her expression shifting from joy to warmth. Ryuji could feel her nails scratch lightly on the back of his neck just in his hairline.

The brief moment stretched on for much longer than it was before Ann let him go and flashed him one of her blinding smiles. "See you at lunch!" She beamed and skipped off to class, leaving Ryuji stunned, baffled, and grinning.

* * *

Ryuji restrained his leg from bouncing as he sat stiffly in the office of the packaging manager. He had just handed him his grades, the man taking a few moments to review the change in numbers. For what seemed like eternity, Ryuji's manager spoke. "Very good, Sakamoto. To be honest I didn't expect such improvement."

Ryuji felt a mix of pride and offense at that.

"You keep this up until graduation I don't foresee any issues with your employment here." The man continued, oblivious to the backhanded compliment. "On that note, you're probably aware that Masaomi Motimiya is no longer with the company. Upon review, there were several… discrepancies in his inventory that has warranted a different kind of investigation." Ryuji felt a bit of relief and disappointment. He didn't want to be right. "The higher ups were understandably quite upset at this revelation, and they want to avoid a similar case. As such…" The man paused, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "As such, please don't take it too personally, but your own actions may be under close scrutiny for the time being. All my boss knows about you is that you're a new hire who worked shifts with Motimiya, so in their eyes, you may be a suspicious party in this."

Ryuji clenched his fists and jaw. He could still hear Motimiya's words ' _You'll always be just a punk. No one's gonna think of you otherwise'_

"As long as you continue to work admirably, there won't be an issue. It's for the good of the company."

"The good of the company." He repeated to himself. He wanted to protest. He wanted to lash out over the accusation, the injustice, the prejudice. But that would just be proving the point, wouldn't it? Ryuji took a deep breath.

Part of not being 'just a punk' was not acting like it.

Besides, this was nothing. He could take it. "Well sir, I look forward to showing the company just how good _I_ am for them." He said with fiery conviction. The manager blinked a few times in shock then let out a hearty laugh.

"Ha! A fine answer, Sakamoto. I look forward to that as well. Now, we're short handed again and backed up because of the actions of our former associate. Get to work."

Ryuji stood up and offered a short bow. "Yes sir."

* * *

The next few days reestablished into routine for Ryuji. He regarded his employers as a worthy challenge, eager to prove them wrong with his work ethic. School was as frustrating as ever for him, but even so it was a just a difficulty he had to handle. Nothing new there.

What WAS new was the way Ann was acting towards him. It was like she ramped up the flirtiness to 11 and it was often overheating Ryuji's already overclocked brain, much to her giddy delight. He used to have such a good defense against her, and now she was finding ways to worm her way in. Knowing he wouldn't be able to last much longer, he started making plans on how to address the issue when Ann beat him to the punch.

"Yo, Ann, where are you takin' me?" Ryuji wondered with a playful grin as the other blonde led him up the stairs towards the roof by his hand. Holding her hand, even if it was dragging him, felt nice.

"Just shut up for a sec, okay?" She responded, sounding a little nervous. The discord in her voice made Ryuji tilt his head as he was brought onto the roof, the door behind him clanging shut. When Ann turned to face him, there was determination in her eyes and a blush across her face. "This thing. Between us." She addressed.

Part of Ryuji's chest seized up, and he suppressed the knee-jerk urge to deny knowledge of what she was talking about. But he knew. Averting his eyes for a moment he returned his gaze to meet the girl's intense stare. "What about it?" He wondered, curiously.

Emboldened, Ann took a deep breath and pressed onwards. "I want to explore it a little bit." The weight of those words nearly cause Ryuji to explode with joy and apprehension, the boy losing eye contact again to bashfully rub the back of his neck.

"You sure about this, Ann? I mean… you could pretty much have any guy you want." He remarked.

"Oh that's good." She replied with a hint of coy sarcasm. "Because I want _you_ , you idiot." Ryuji was having trouble suppressing the ego boost he was feeling, but was still uncertain if he as up to the task of taking the dive. Ann picked up on his hesitation. "I'm happy when I'm with you, Ryuji." She explained. "You make me feel happy. And safe. And comfortable. And warm. And as amazing as that is… I want more. I want to _find out_ if there's more."

Ryuji couldn't look away now. His gaze was locked with Ann's, and the truth of his heart escaped his lips unfiltered. "I want that too." He finally confessed.

Ann beamed, a brightness that nearly blinded him with its beautiful intensity.

"Great! Then you're taking me out tonight." She decided, reaching out and stroking a hand along Ryuji's jawline. "Pick me up at 6. Wear something nice." She instructed with a finality that would not be denied. Her stroke ended at his chin with a flick of her fingers which made his head jerk back a little.

She was already bouncing away when Ryuji regained himself, Ann looking back to give him a wink as she descended down the stairs, the door closing behind her. He stared at the rooftop door for a while with a bemused smirk plastered across his face he didn't think would go away any time soon. Reaching out to grab the door handle, Ryuji reflected on how things were going for him.

He couldn't claim he knew exactly where his ship was headed, but he had strong bearings, a good compass, and an eager desire to take on the unknown waters. Things were looking good.

* * *

A/N: Well, that concludes this work. Hopefully I didn't butcher Ryuji's character too much in having him mature. I admit I didn't intend this to turn into a romance fic, but I kind of like how it developed. The central conflict was a little weak and needed some fluff anyways. Thank you to all of you for reading, I hope to contribute more to the Phandom soon! Maybe I'll work on Morgana next…


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